When Looking Good Trumps Being Good

by | Oct 12, 2015 | Opinion

Focus on your image because image is everything. Those words, or at least words to that effect, were the caption of a famous ad several years ago. I remember being taken aback by its crass and shallow message, but not many people reacted, perhaps because the caption...

5 Reasons Your Church Must Make Room at the Table

by | Oct 12, 2015 | Opinion

I’ve enjoyed working with several high-energy invigorated churches this past spring and summer. Being around them, considering God’s calling for them and how to join God more fully on mission was delightful. Reflecting on these experiences, I find myself...

When Your Small Church Has Too Much Money

by | Oct 9, 2015 | Opinion

Smaller churches often complain about not having any money. At times, however, the problem is that they have too much money. One small church that averages about 12 people each week told me they had more than $100,000 in savings. An even smaller church has nearly...

Can Ministers and Churches Afford Each Other?

by | Oct 9, 2015 | Opinion

I had the opportunity to attend the Economics of Ministry Summit at Central Baptist Theological Seminary (CBTS) in Shawnee, Kansas, “where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the students are above average” (to paraphrase...

How You Can Stop Being ‘Scrooge with a Stopwatch’

by | Oct 9, 2015 | Opinion

Many of us have a troubled relationship with time. Carl Honore wrote an interesting book, “In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed,” the idea for which came to him as he rushed through an airport and saw a book...